“It’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
Matthew 15.26
Perhaps it is the rudeness of Jesus’ words that impels Matthew to edit Mark’s earlier version of this story. Matthew provides a reason for Jesus’ refusal to help this Gentile woman, whose daughter is tormented by a demon. Jesus’ mission is solely “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew also makes the woman clearly a believer. She addresses Jesus as messiah, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.” Her faith is the reason Jesus frees her daughter and includes her in his mission. Matthew makes specific that the table from which the woman seeks crumbs is the messiah or master’s table.
In Mark the woman sasses back when Jesus refuses to free her daughter of an unclean spirit and refers to her as a Gentile dog. The woman says, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” It is for saying that Jesus frees her daughter.
She counters the prejudice against her with the truth of her experience. Unlike Jews for whom dogs were unclean, this Gentile woman has dogs as well as children at her table. Her comeback makes space for all.
What boundaries or prejudices have you encountered and broken down?
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